Shrubs, climbing shrubs or lianes. Stipules (in ours) entire to 2-fid, caducous. Flowers borne in terminal panicles. Calyx turbinate to ellipsoid; lobes 5, dentate. Corolla tube cylindric or narrowly funnel-shaped; lobes 5. Anthers 5. Ovary 2(-4)-locular. Fruit (in ours) indehiscent, spherical or ellipsoid. Derivation of name: the Sinhalese name for Mussaenda frondosa. Worldwide: 100 species in the Old World tropics. Zimbabwe: 1 taxon. |